


falling for you

by dearachilles



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Awesome Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Dark!Percy, Emotional Roller Coaster, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Grace is a Good Friend, Mild Language, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Percy Jackson has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Percy is a Dork, Powerful Percy Jackson, Roman Percy Jackson, Work In Progress, in this house we love and protect everyone because they're awesome, literally everone's badass because why not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26140285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearachilles/pseuds/dearachilles
Summary: At the Battle of New York, Annabeth witnessed a very powerful demigod in act. She never saw about him ever again after that. So, fate decided to intervene. When they arrived at Camp Jupiter with Argo II, they were greeted by a different atmosphere. In between the chaos and uncertainties, Annabeth learns more about the mysterious raven-haired praetor and starts to connect the dots.*read the notes for more info about canon*
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace & Percy Jackson, Jason Grace & Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Percy Jackson & Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 7
Kudos: 109





	1. boy at the bridge

**Author's Note:**

> i realized that my memory of HoO was actually not that accurate so this fic vaguely follows the events of the series so don't be confused if the events don't match. actually, I think I won't be mentioning the individual battles and im going to change the whole chronology and events basically, because canon is a freshly opened Play-Doh and i intend to play with it like a three year old. also, this will take long to finish so please bear with me.
> 
> -im also on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/CARDANSWRATH) so feel free to come and say hi!

The first time she saw him was at the battle in New York. She was pushing the monsters back towards the bridge when she heard a splash. A demigod had fallen into the water. As she was calling for help, she didn’t see the drakon advancing on her. Just as it was about to attack, a wave swiped the whole bridge clean. The whole camp was silent, looking around to see the attacker, but Annabeth knew. He hadn’t fallen into the water, he jumped to focus better. The boy was practically glowing. His eyes were radioactive green, bright and lethal. Annabeth wondered; how did he survive this far without a weapon. Like he read her mind, he pulled something out of his pocket and seconds later, he was dancing around with a sword. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she was awestruck. He had this-strong godly aura that made him striking. She didn’t realize she was staring until he winked at him. Instantly she turned back and continued to kill the monsters. Until Clarisse mentioned it, she never knew she was the only one who saw him. Well, not her problem. Not at the moment, at least.

…

He hit his head on the table. “Become co-praetors with me, you said. It’ll be fun, you said”, he chimed to Jason. He absolutely hated the senate. Bunch of boring idiots, he thought. Jason laughed and dragged him out. The tension was high in the air, with Mars appearing at the camp and Juno getting kidnapped. Legions were training, horses and elephants were getting groomed. Percy whistled to see if Reyna was around. She had ditched the meeting, perks of having three praetors. Aurum’s bark could be heard from far away. Training fields it is then, he nudged Jason. When they arrived there, Reyna was butchering a haystack with a…battle-axe. It was good seeing her variating between weapons. She turned around to meet them, a challenging smirk on her face. Oh they were on. The field cleared almost instantly, no one would want to be around when they were training together. Two hours later, all weapons spread around, Reyna and Jason on both Percy’s shoulders, Percy collapsed on a mannequin. Before they could say anything, horns started blaring. They all got up on instant started barking orders to legions. Reyna called her dogs, Frank as a wolf on the front. The air was crackling with electricity. She looked left to see Jason controlling the winds and Percy stilling the waters for possible encounters. Not to cause much panic, only three of them got ready as scouts. Then, a voice came from high above:

“ **Greetings earthlings, we come-** ‘ _Leo no_!’ **Hello again, we are Camp Half-Blood of Long Island. We come in peace, and with your permission, we would like to land our ship. We have to talk, now** ” 

Reyna stepped at front, “How do we know you are telling the truth?” The reply was quick: “ **Seven half-bloods should answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall.** ” They all mumbled the rest: “To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.”

Reyna nodded gravely to Terminus. He opened the borders, though no one expected a ship that was actually flying. “Damn that’s cool”, thought Percy. It slowly lowered and landed itself smoothly at the pier. First to disembark was a girl with curly hair and steel eyes. After that, a faun, and another attractive girl. They were wearing plain orange shirts and carrying no weapons. Jason chuckled at their naivety. It was like two opposite sites, one with shirts and shorts, other fully ready with breastplates and swords. Being the leader she is, Reyna held her hand, the blonde girl stepped forward and shook it. They introduced themselves first, the blonde girl was Annabeth- there was something so familiar about her- the satyr Grover, and the brunette Piper. Frank huffed and turned back to greet them. Annabeth instantly grabbed her dagger, while Piper threw fists and Grover jumped sideways. Reyna was still unsure, Percy could sense that, her stare was calculating, and she still had her dagger nearby. Somehow, he felt close to them, like he instantly trusted them. They started talking, then the rest of the ship started coming down. They were a small group, but looked determined. After they all met, Reyna invited them in the camp. Everyone had different reactions. Percy’s attention was on Annabeth; she started taking notes, studying the architecture. Taking advantage of others’ distraction, he walked up to her. “Hey”, he said. She smiled back. “Have met before?” “If I saw a messy person like you before, I would remember.” Ouch, that hurt. Just because his armour was tied wrong- as he newly noticed- and his hair looked like a bird nest didn’t mean he was messy. He smirked and waltzed back to Jason.

Annabeth looked at him go. There _was_ something strange about him, like his smell, or…she didn’t know. She and Reyna got along well pretty quickly. They were both fierce, strategic, smart. Reyna told him she could’ve easily gotten a place in the senate if she were Roman. Not to seem too impotent, she asked about the legions and campers. She was quite surprised to learn the cohorts weren’t arranged by parentage but arrival and strength. Reyna was equally surprised to learn the power instability in the Greek camp. Overall, all campers were confused but happy to see more allies. Besides Octavian, all campers. Although he knew about the prophecy, he was the augur after all, he glared at them all night. He thought he looked threatening but when Piper saw him gutting a dolphin plush, Jason just shrugged and said he was just jealous. Jason and Piper got close very fast. Too fast for a friendship, maybe. When all the residents left the dining hall, Reyna explained some basic rules to them. They would stay at the guest bunkers for tonight but the next day they would be placed into the cohorts accordingly. The group nodded, so Reyna told Julia to escort them to their bunkers.

The lights were turned off hours ago, but the three praetors were still awake, discussing the events. Reyna was worried about the legions and whether they would be able to handle a real war. Jason and Percy were more concerned about the newcomers, and if they posed as a threat. Reyna was still cautious about them, and because Jason and Percy were more welcoming to them, they didn’t voice their thoughts. Around some ungodly hour, they decided to lay it off when Percy started to dip in the aquarium to stay awake. They all went to their beds, praying it would be alright.

That night, Annabeth dreamt of the boy at the bridge for the first time after the battle.


	2. a spark of hope

They came to see the Greeks all lively and active at their table. It seemed like the cohort liked the group, because they could see Kool-Aids in front of them. Annabeth looked really cool, like legitimately cool. She traded her shirt for a sleeveless hoodie, her hair was up in a loose ponytail. Her side of the table was relatively empty, so he slid across the seat to stop right in front of her.

“Hey again”

“If you think I’m going to talk to you just because you are a praetor, you are wrong Seaweed Brain.”

“Oooh, we are into the pet names base already? I thought we would take it slower”

She chuckled and kept on sketching. Those arches looked really flawless and professional. He opened his mouth and at the same time she started talking.

“Look, we’re not supposed to get along. You’re a son of Poseidon-“

“Neptune.”

“whatever, and I’m a daughter of Athena, our parents are practically enemies.”

“So, we’re supposed to be enemies too?”

“We’re just not supposed to like each other”

Percy wouldn’t stay at where he wasn’t wanted, he sighed and barged into Leo and Hazel’s conversation. Annabeth stared at him, he was just so easy-going and charming, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong with him. He was giving off this odd vibe. She took a mental note to ask Jason about him, she was still kind of scared of Reyna. She lost the track after that, lost in her thoughts. She got out of her trance when Reyna loudly cleared her throat. Jason and Percy also stood up and took their places next to her. She was listening to them until she heard Piper “ _Do you also feel it?”_ She did. When they were together, their power could literally be sensed, it gave all of them goosebumps. She nodded slowly. Piper was checking out Jason in a not-that-subtle way. Annabeth knew Jason was also interested in her, it didn’t require a child of Aphrodite to see their interest in each other. Aside from them, the praetors **_were powerful_**. She didn’t know how, but stories like theirs were told. Demigods, when formed a strong bong with each other, could reflect their power onto others. It required impenetrable willpower and a very firm connection among the trio. She could see how close they were, but she never imagined this much. Reyna was a daughter of the Roman goddess Bellona, Jason was Jupiter’s son, and of course Percy was the son of Neptune. Their combination could cause serious damage. Then, the announcement was over. People started leaving but they motioned the Greeks to stay. Unfortunately, Octavian was also there, to explicate the prophecy.

The debriefing was hell. A demonstration of the Fields of Punishment. Well, everyone agreeing on hating Octavian collectively was nice. It was interesting seeing all praetors defending them and shushing one of their own. They shared their intel, and Annabeth noticed that the Romans had a much wider web of allies and informants. Their system didn’t treat demigods as soldiers; they were allowed to live freely, the camp had a residence site, every state had their own communities of demigods to stay in contact. She would like a life like that, settling down, no more monsters, no more prophecies. Her eyes slid to Percy, who was fighting with Leo, water verses fire. She watched them, how they were so happy, how Percy had really long fingers, how his eyes crinkled when he laughed, how good he would look if he let his stubble grow…Piper’s snap woke her up. Now she was making stupid signs, wiggling her eyebrows. She shoved her, it was nothing, just admiring beauty, that’s all.

…

One thing no one realized with Percy was, despite his goofy attitude, he was actually really observant. He would remember weird things from weird places, he would sketch entire building plans from memory after spy missions, and he was a mad good strategist. He had noticed how Annabeth looked at him for the past two days, but her intentions were unclear. He would let it slide for now. His past taught him not to trust fast, they had to earn it. Jason and Reyna knew what he went through, and helped him get back on his feet. He trusted them more than he trusted himself. He couldn’t let his guards down, even for a smart, cute girl. He turned his head expectantly when he felt Jason poking at his arm. “Would you happen to know Piper’s type? No reason, just wondering” He poked back, “Just talk to her dude, she’s been checking you out since they came.” When Jason glanced down, he noticed him fidgeting with the pen, so he saluted and left him alone. As he approached a jittery Reyna, he was amused. Reyna had started playing with her arrowheads. He started teasing, but she wasn’t in the mood. She started walking, and explained her concerns. She was worried that Octavian may start an uprising using his position as the augur. Although he tried to reassure her it would be alright, she was already planning how to unite the two sides permanently, because if the war ended well, some amount of diplomacy was definitely required. Another point, she didn’t know how to win the war, for the first time. She would have to include Annabeth in tonight’s meeting; as a daughter of Minerva, she was a valuable asset for strategies and brainstorming. To connect with the Greeks, she would prepone the Siege. Nothing says good bonding activity like violence. With that being said, she called Annabeth to the Principia.

The Principia, as understood from the name, was the principal building of Camp Jupiter. It may have looked normal from the outside, but the inside was decorated like a military base mixed with a bar. Tactics table and chairs spread around, a conference room; two pool tables and a literal bar on the other side. Yes, this was a headquarters, but praetors were still teens who needed to cool off. After the tour, Annabeth found Jason and Percy on the couch laying side by side.

“I would think they were brothers if it weren’t for their hair”

“Yeah, they found themselves in each other, they _are_ brothers, more than any sibling could ever be.”

She had to agree, their bond seemed stronger than in most families. After Jason pushed him, he tumbled down to the ground, but managed to keep his integrity by getting up and dragging Jason with him. His crooked smile was plastered to his face, waiting for directions like a trained dog. That remark may have been too harsh, but his messy black hair, impossibly blue but also greenish eyes and his excited posture made him look like a puppy. Shaking her head, she sat on the table. This was going to be a long night.


	3. slash and stab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say thank you for all the kudoses and subs for the fic i really appreciate it <3  
> and i have been having massive headaches constantly so the next update may come later than i expected...

Greeks were really different from them, fighting style wise. Romans were trained to be direct, straightforward, while they had a more relaxed, flexible stance. Instead of deflecting and stab, they used duck and slash. Effective, but also rather cowardly, in a way. Technically, in terms of self-preservation, their style was better, but they were too proud to admit the **_graeca_** were superior to them. Still, they were more advanced than them. This culture exchange was beneficial for them, they could be more resilient against the monsters. The sight of Annabeth sliding on her calves and slashing through the scarecrow was absolutely beautiful. She attacked carefully, analysing her opponents, and taking them down one by one. Even with a dagger, she was graceful. She stood up, breathing hard. Looking at him up and down, she said “You drool when you sleep.” Before he could ask how, “Last week, you fell asleep on the ground, at the HQ.” He shrugged, there was nothing he could say to save himself. Like the saviour he is, Jason whistled at him to get his ass back to the field. He ran, stopped, turned back, waved at her, then turned around and bet Jason he couldn’t beat him in three rounds.

…

Romans were fed with something else, looks wise. There was no way a nineteen year old could look this attractive when attacking his friend. His tattoos -plural- fit his personality so admirably. The SPQR on his forearm, with 10 strikes, and three flowers; black, red, and blue. She would’ve expected a classic two lines on forearm from him, but he proved her wrong. Both of their swords were thrown behind, it was show time. Before he could even do anything, Percy felt a strong wind blurring his vision. “Really? A dust storm? That’s low man, really low” Jason was laughing but his voice faltered as he swallowed a large amount of fountain water. He coughed up while Percy was trying to get his hair back into an acceptable shape. Now that she could see Jason’s right arm, there was a flower similar to Percy’s. Maybe they got matching tattoos, that would be cute. As Jason stilled his breathing, he pushed Percy, being caught offhand, he stumbled and fell back into the hay. Annabeth shook her head and slowly went back to their table. She lowkey wanted something like that, someone she could give her back to. For some time, she had Thalia, and gods was that a magnificent era in her life. Then, she went and joined the Hunters, and she was happy for her sure, but while Thalia had gained tens of sisters, she was left alone. Well, now she had Piper, but they were still not that close. On the other hand, Clarisse was actually a surprisingly good friend besides her interest in violence. She quickly cleared her head, hearing Leo’s jokes and tried to cheer up.

Dinner time was more pleasant. Percy and Jason had both changed into purple SPQR t-shirts, and Percy was wearing a gold cuff. Huh, intriguing. Today, there’s blue Kool-Aid, not red. How did Dakota even allow this, she couldn’t believe how the camp was operating. A lot different from home, but she warmed up to here too, seeing New Rome filled with chill parents and small children made her soft. Though, she would never exchange her strawberry fields and campfires for this. Camp Half-Blood saved her. When she was defenceless, they became her shield, they trained her to stand on her own feet, and at last they became her family. She missed home. They have been staying here for a month, and with a potential battle just around the corner, they couldn’t go back. She envisioned herself in purple shirts, dressed in togas and helmets. Would she want a life like that? The settling down part seemed nice, a dog, maybe a few; just sitting on the porch, drinking wine, and reading books for the rest of your life, without having to look behind your back for danger… She could only dream, Greek demigods had no such futures. They usually died in quests or wars. She wiped her eyes and continued to talk like nothing happened. A logical woman. That’s what her mother said to her. As a daughter of Athena, she should be the epitome of her intelligence, strength, and imperturbability. She couldn’t get her emotions get the best of her. Her eyes focused on Percy, who was cutting his meat with pure hunger. He was unique, and that piqued her interest. He was unknown territory, thus dangerous. As Poseidon was her mother’s nemesis, she was supposed to oppose him, and she tried to express hatred to him for a long time. Now, hatred had turned more to annoyance, with a hint of rivalry.

It was another sleepless night. She got out of her bed, took a blanket, and started to walk around the camp. The lights were out but the moonlight and the outer border lights sufficed for proper sight. She found herself in front of the stables, so she laid down on the loose hay pile. The stars weren’t visible, but Venus and Mercury were impossibly clear and big in the sky. The horses’ soft breaths and the mellow wind calmed her nerves, and before she knew, she was asleep. She woke up to Cindy chewing her hair. She was confused at first, then she remembered how she ended up there. It wasn’t even morning yet; the sun was barely out of the mountains. She took the blanket and got up, huffing. As she was returning to her cohort, a moving figure caught his eye. They were walking towards the beach, so of course she tried to follow. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the mysterious person was Percy. He apparently had two more tattoos; a trident on his right breast and a quote on his left. He hurried off to the sea. She sat on the sand, wondering what he was doing at the beach before the break of day.

…

Water, he had discovered, had a therapeutic effect on him, naturally. He found comfort in the surrounding coldness in the middle of the sea. The blue hues, the calm movement of the tide eased his mind. When he is on the ground, he can’t control his nightmares. Last week, he had to leave the training early to relive the flashbacks alone in the comfort of his own loneliness. Jason and Reyna are doing their best to help him, really. They even tried to hypnotize him with the help of a child of Hypnos. At first, it worked, his paranoia eased, he was comfortable in his skin. Then, rebound. He would stop in the middle of the track; just looking around with confused eyes. Pencils, shiny things, loud sounds, dogs. They scared him beyond logic. No one besides Jason and Reyna know what happened, they agreed it stay that way as long as Percy wishes. Not everyone handles trauma smoothly. Percy didn’t. With time, wounds healed to leave deep scars. Still, sometimes he wakes up in sweat, silent, his throat dry as a desert. He doesn’t mind it, tries to stay strong. He gave his everything to rise above others when he was a son of Neptune, a highly degraded Roman god. When he had it all, he couldn’t risk anything. Not that he needed it, with a deep breath, he dove into the blissful void. Here, everything was under his command. He could stop the flow of the water, play with the fish, clean the rubbish stupid mortals threw, and watch the environment flourish on its own. He also used this free time to master harnessing his powers. He learnt his lesson the hard way, when he was Poseidon’s son, not Neptune. Being descended from one of the Big Three had its perks, and consequences. All demigods had powers, but not all could unleash their full potential. For example, Reyna and Jason had both had complete control over their powers whereas he still had a hard time managing his emotions. His powers were always changing, always waiting, patiently, bubbling in his subconscious; quite comedically, exactly like the sea, constantly on the move, changing and shaping things on its way. He huffed; he was already deep enough to get rid of these thoughts. With a quick somersault, he advanced to the dark, his true home. As of then, he could feel groups of fish and shrimp swim by, not disturbed by his presence at all. He could see if he wanted, but today, he just wanted to _feel._ Oh, the quiet, the smothering sea. Being a demigod was the best curse ever laid on him. His face formed a small smile. This, he thought.

He felt something touching his neck. “ _Are you going to be here lazing all day, or do you have something productive, maybe. “_ He groaned. “Five more minutes, Mom.”

_“The camp isn’t going to save itself Raven.”_

_“_ WHAT _”_ He jerked his eyes open instantly. The young hammerhead shark was amusingly eyeing him. _“Chill, I was joking. But seriously, it’s almost morning, people are going to notice your absence. Now off you go, bye.”_

He gave the shark a stink-eye, then started to swim to the shore. Duty awaited. He shook his head to dry his hair, he let himself get wet today. It was cold on the shore, but it felt good for his burning soul. He grabbed his t-shirt and from the corner of his eye, he spotted a certain blonde staring at him. What the hell was she even doing? 

“Hey, I’m off to breakfast, want to come?”, he yelled.

“…”

“Okay, see you, I guess.”

He continued walking, then hurrying footsteps came from behind. She greeted him with a small nod.

“What were you doing so early in the morning, and you’re still dripping wet, get a towel next time.”

“None of your business and I’m a son of Neptune, remember? Water is kind of my thing. Besides, what were **you** doing so early in the morning?”

Silence, then a quiet “Touche”

They were still not looking at each other, like a bunch of kids throwing tantrums. When they arrived at the residences, Percy motioned her to go first. Before she could say anything, he added “Do not talk back to me, probatio, or do you want me to issue an incompliance warning?” Seeing he pissed her off, he smiled and left to get dressed. She growled and slammed the bunker door shut. All the eyes were on her, horrified and wide open. She smiled sweetly and opened her wardrobe.


	4. eye of the hurricane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i downed three advils and seven cups of coffee to write this so here we are. the next chapter will take long, and i mean it this time because i have no idea what im going to write, plus this may even be the last chapter i write before going on a 9/10-month hiatus (senior year sucks) but i tried to write as much as i can. i will try my best to write at least a transition chapter but no promises xx ilyall

Fires were erupting all over the country. Earthquakes, floods, and much more. Twelfth Legion Fulminata was on full capacity and ready to go. Reyna, Jason, and Percy all had eye bags, but they were at the front, standing high and proud. Things were improving, even just a little bit. After Frank and Leo managed to free Thanatos, monsters were easier to kill, and they actually stayed dead. They were at their third battle and legionnaires were starting to get exhausted. Even Annabeth was broken. The recent personality split of her mom also broke her spirits. All of the demigods were affected by this, except Reyna, her mother didn’t have a Greek form. One of the most harmed was Jason, as his father was the most powerful god in both forms, he would get frequent headaches and personality splits. Percy didn’t seem very disturbed, but the screams coming from his apartment in the middle of nights told otherwise. He was still wearing the cuff; she made a note to ask him about it. There they were, against a bunch of basilisks, gryphons and other godsforsaken stuff fresh out of Tartarus. She turned her head and asked Jason why all of them still fought when they knew they would die against these monsters. He smiled and said “ _Aut cum scuto aut in scuto,_ either with shield or on shield, one of the first things Lupa teaches us, giving up isn’t in our blood.” That was metal, and honourable to accept to die rather than surrender. All of a sudden, it went quiet. A wolf howl was heard. Then, an eagle spurt towards the sky. _Frank,_ she thought. A minute later, he came back in human form, sternly nodded to Percy. He stepped forward, Reyna and Jason also with him.

 _“STA” **Halt.**_ Two raps.

“ _PARATI” **Ready.**_ All units in formation. Another howl. In unison, “ _Morturi te salutant. ” **We as dying men salute you.**_

 _“PERCUTE” **Charge.**_ All that could be heard was footsteps and clashes. She got her eyes on a chimera. It was atacking a Fourth Cohort member. One after other, the monsters never stopped coming. She wasn’t badly wounded, but she had a slash on her cheek, again. Stopped for a minute to breathe, and that’s when the Split hit her again. She sunk to her knees, her mother’s degrading words echoing in her ear, the coin weighing her down, pinning her down to the ground. She thought it would never end, then a hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. Percy. His eyes were glowing, he was smiling but she could see the burden he was carrying behind his eyes. She took his hand and stood up, her mind less confused and more open-sighted. With a blink of an eye, he was gone. She saw him running towards a telekhine. She felt something coming. If she had noticed the spear a second later, she would’ve been dead. She took the spear and threw it back to the gorgon. Gone. Yes they were outnumbering the army, but no one saw Alcyoneus coming until it was too late. There he was, standing a kilometer aside them. Reyna barked almost instantly.

“ _ORDINEM SERVATE. JUNGE. ADIUTA DEI.”_ ** _Stay in position. Close the ranks. Gods help us._**

Suddenly, Percy grabbed Reyna’s arm. They were doing a staring match, possibly. Percy won, as Jason came from behind, agreeing with Percy, whatever the matter they were talking about. Reyna gave up, took both of their necks, and muttered something. They were both determined, but also gloomy. As they motioned to Reyna, she charged, so did the rest of the legion.

Annabeth was confused, what was all that about? Alarms blared in the back of her spine, not the time to worry, she had more important matters in hand, like getting rid of a certain immortal Titan. She flipped her dagger and started eliminating the rest of the minions. Alcyoneus was also coming in fast, they had to come up with a solution. Right at that moment, a strong gush of wind stopped her in her tracks. She turned around to see, she found all the legionairres frozen and staring. She quickly realized what was wrong, only Reyna was present at the ground, and she had a bitter smile stuck to her face. The clouds started darkening, and seconds later, lightnings started crackling. So that was Jason, where the hell was Per- a horse neigh came up from the skies. It wasn’t really a horse though, it was glowing in a dangerously bright green colour. When it landed, the two praetors appeared. Neither of them looked human, Jason had a quite literal halo around his neck, and Percy, well she had seen Percy before. Only difference was that this time, his glow was much stronger. She got the flashbacks of New York; **_thunder, wave, glowing green eyes, the bridge_**. This couldn’t be. The boy at the bridge…Percy…Nothing made sense right now. A cry rippled through the whole field. Jason stilled. He hurried up to Percy, he nodded and went on. Others carried on with their fights, but Annabeth was directly looking at him. His side was closer to the sea, and she could faintly hear the slosh of the waves. He looked like a god, intense, fierce, dangerous, untouchable. She had never seen a demigod this active before. Now, the titan was surrounded completely. She feared what would happen next. Half the army was either dead, wounded, or suffering. Alcyoneus was stronger than the giants, as she discovered. She heard Jason whistling, then the pegasus reappeared for a second. All survivors were attacking him from all sides before she felt something grab her. Him. She was dangling from his hand, almost squashed. Humans were interesting beings. They could feel things others couldn’t. Like how the electricity in the air was nearly visible. From her blurred vision, she saw Jason in the air, almost in a Jesus-ish posture. On the other side, Percy was no different. Wait, was that a trident? The Titan shook, and Annabeth took the chance to get out of his grasp. The hurricane was getting bigger and bigger, destroying everything in its sight, with Percy in the middle of it.

Three things happened, Reyna threw her spear in the air, Jason caught it and turned it into a lightning bolt, and Percy released the hurricane. Alcyoneus roared, and grunted, and smashed a few more chariots, but a few minutes later, he was flat on the ground. To make sure he was gone, Reyna stabbed him again. All it took for a Titan to die was three demigods and a hurricane. Simple, right? Nope. Two thunks were heard simultaneously. Reyna cried and ordered medics as both Percy and Jason collapsed on the ground, both flat.

…

This may have been the hardest decision Percy had to make. Why, you ask. Well let’s explain it this way, for someone who just recently learnt how to control his powers, unleashing them again with no restraint was basically a suicide mission. Not only that, he wouldn’t hesitate if it were just him. This time, he also needed Jason to control the winds until his soul gave up resisting the force. It was equally hard for Jason, but he accepted still. He was eternally grateful, and pissed at him, for both not leaving him alone and **not** leaving him alone. He could sense the sea behind him, his fingers were burning with excitement. He was going to die nonetheless, let’s go out with a bang, sure. He reached to the depths of his mind and relaxed. When he opened his eyes, he was in the eye of a medium tornado. To get the fireworks started, he summoned the sea. Wow, that had taken a lot more power than he thought he would. He clasped his hands, gathered the water, and shaped it into the winds for a proper storm. Now that clouds were also in, Jason could exit his state. In seconds, he felt Jason’s presence and nodded reassuringly. He insisted, so he mouthed he was okay, then shooed him. He gave up, and returned to Reyna’s side. Now that all this anger was out, he could think properly. He looked around. Everything was a mess, mixing in a soup of clouds and water. A quite appropriate analogy for his mental state, ironically. It was quiet, in the eye of the hurricane. He felt a pair of eyes on him, and deja-vu hit him up. A moment, from four years ago. The second time he used his powers, on a bridge in New York. A girl had looked at him the same way Annabeth was looking at him right now. Lost in memories, the hurricane started to delve out of his grasp, so he ripped out his cuff, feeling the balanced metal as it morphed into an Imperial Gold trident. He didn’t like to use it, felt like he was betraying Aestus. Frankly, the trident helped him with hydrogenesis. His hands were heavy again, so he returned back to his past. His mom, that ugly bastard, Poseidon, Lupa, Neptune, they all barged in all at once. The Splits, his tattoos, his first surge. He smiled. He was two when Lupa took him, raised him to be a perfect soldier. When he was 5, he was claimed by Poseidon, not Neptune. Maybe he should’ve guessed something was wrong then. Lupa still continued to teach him, saying there was Roman blood and a great destiny in him, and parentage wouldn’t change that. That same year, Lupa released him, giving him his first sword, Aestus, meaning tide, a gift from Neptune. He left there in gratitude, back to his mom. That, well that was a lot to unpack at the moment, so he forwarded to the camp. When he first arrived there, he was 8. Jason weren’t to come until a month later. As a son of Neptune, the rotten fish god, he was placed in the Fifth Cohort. He was shy, introverted at first, intimidated by all the powerful demigods. Then, he discovered the beach, the clean water. He regained his confidence, then the rest was history. Within a year, he had already gotten his SPQR tattoo, the legionnaire status, and a respectable place in the Second Cohort. He had met Jason and Reyna there, children of Jupiter and Bellona. They never underestimated him, treated him like their equal. In no time, they were close like siblings. Age 14, the cursed number. Kronos had returned, and was trying to take over the world. According to the praetors, it wasn’t their problem, there were others included. Percy seemed to disagree, and asked for their complete trust. Like the adventurous children they were, they agreed. They were to cover his absence until he came back from Manhattan. How they did that, he still doesn’t know to this day. It was a quick job, take down the Titan, go back. What he didn’t calculate was Typhon, the damned monster- aka. his brother seventh or eighth removed- and that slimy fucker really tired him out. He saw monsters reverting to the bridge, so he located himself at one of his gates, waiting for the perfect timing. When they were all located at the road, he jumped down, blood pressuring his brain. He could also feel Typhon somewhere down the shoreline. He sensed Blackjack, a pegasus he befriended last year. His brain was pulsing, but he managed to see the bridge through his eyes. Wait, was that a drakon behind that girl? He jumped out of the water, carrying the wave behind him, and swept the monsters into the sea in one flick of his wrist. He saw the girl deadpanning at him, so he winked and rushed to the next swarm of monsters. When Typhon attacked, he was talking to the hippocampi about whether they could carry him to the camp. The energy it radiated told him it was at its full capacity, which meant pray time. He stilled in the water, directed his thoughts towards his father, and wanted his help. He could hear the screams and growls from the highway. He was useless, he was tired, and there was no way he could beat the monster on his own. Then, help arrived. When he surfaced, he saw chariots and new kids joining the battle. Help was help, regardless of source. His fingers were prickling, waiting for him. Not yet, he thought, hold your horses. Suddenly, a giant lightning snapped Typhon’s rotten mouth shut. Zeus, probably, always late to the party. It moaned and sunk. Oh no, he was even more angry, however that was possible. If only…A thought formed in his mind. He was still in the sea, right? He slowly submerged, looking for its body and tail. After he located a weak point, he swam near it and started moving the water to start a whirl. It was working, but he wasn’t sure if his skin glowing a blue-ish hue was a good sign. He could feel the sea beneath his fingers, and he liked controlling it. He closed his fists, the flow speeding up, trying to stop it from rising fully. The task was getting harder minute by minute, the snake was pushing hard against the current. Just as he felt like giving up, it shrieked loudly. They probably managed to kill it, he thought. It gave a loud hiss and with a quick big splash, it sunk deep. He was numb. His limbs were like lumps of jelly, weak and jiggly. He was thankful Neptune granted him the ability to create a whirl, but the energy drainage made him almost regret his choice. Before he drifted to unconsciousness, the last thing he saw was a whale dragging him on his back.

Oh, he forgot how time passed. He looked at Jason, who blinked and sprung in the air. This party needed a spark to get going. At last, he finally steered the hurricane towards the titan. The storm was big enough to transfer the lightning to the monster. It felt like hours, in the silence of the storm. For once, his mind seemed to agree. His knees shook one last time before they gave out. He could hear Reyna’s scream. _I’m sorry, for everything._

…

Annabeth was eyeing Reyna worryingly, who was pacing the infantry corridor non-stop. It had been three days since they defeated Alcyoneus. Yes, the war wasn’t over yet but with two of their best soldiers down and the rest of the camp treating their wounds, they weren’t in the condition to continue fighting. Night meetings turned into day meetings, occasional training became mandatory preparations, War Games evolved into plain war. Annabeth barely left the Principia, scribbling new plans, enacting possible scenarios, mumbling war strategies. She was unconsciously playing with her coin, the Parthenos still in eating her mind. Others were worn out as well, Leo building, inventing new stuff in hopes to improve their lifestyle, Hazel, Piper and Frank on the other side offering emotional assistance to those who were affected by the chaos. Piper’s charmspeak did wonders, really, and she was starting to get even more qualified at it. Camp Jupiter helped the Greeks integrate their power into their daily life. As the camp was more attack-oriented, using and training with their powers would make them more comfortable in an actual battle. They had grown, all of them. Maybe this situation wasn’t ideal, but it forced the two sides to unite quickly, so that was an unexpected reward. Between all the uncertainties, no one paid attention to Octavian’s diabolical schemes. He was whispering, getting in people’s minds, and inserting doubt, concern, and hatred. He was not included in the meetings, understandably, but jealous of the attention those Greek scums were getting, he started plotting the camp against them, not thinking of the consequences. Not many people were supporting him, believing in Reyna’s leadership, but some of the more traditional demigods were backing him up. Besides, they had more crucial concerns that one rebellious jerk. Percy and Jason were still unconscious, and they were running out of time.

That night, Annabeth woke up with the coin hot and heavy in her pocket. It was glowing when she took it out. She flipped it, and an image of the Athena Parthenos appeared out of thin air, then dissolved when it fell to the ground. Athena/Mirvana had been visiting her in her dreams as well. Because of the Split, she was a hairsbreadth away from going delirious. The coin’s status meant her quest had started. With a groan, she stood up and started packing. She would have to alert Reyna, and she knew she would know the importance of the mission and allow her to go. Exactly as she thought, when she knocked at the door Reyna was ready to assault her for waking her up but after an explanation, she blessed her, and even offered a horse for her travel. It was going to be a tough mission, she had to find the Parthenos with the clues her mother implemented both in her mind and literally anywhere else. She put on her cap and started walking.

…

He was in a place, a temple, he guessed. It was in ruins, only two walls were still intact. He heard wind, outside the walls. It was like it was whispering to him. He tried to follow the sound, but he was stopped by a barrier. He looked up to see flying doves. Okay, so this was Juno’s doing, but why. He tried summoning the winds to force the doves away, but they were still in place. When he looked at the doves, he realized they were in a golden cage. Hold on, was Juno trying to give him a message about where she was? He looked at his surroundings, trying to memorize the shape, the environment but the atmosphere changed rapidly. Now he was in a cave, or a basement. It was dark and there was water dripping somewhere. He heard cackles and cheers from upstairs. The doves were now crashing into the bars, feathers were pouring like rain. He felt the ground shake violently, his vision blurred. The earth tore apart just under his feet and he started falling. He looked down to see a bright light. _Wake up, son of Jupiter._

He jumped out of the bed to see an equally panicked Percy. “I-” “Yeah-”“You too?-” Apparently, they both got messages while they were out. Percy’s eyes were shining. He was so desperate to get this out of his chest, he didn’t notice how wrecked he looked. He was crying, sobbing into Jason’s shoulders, apologizing profusely for endangering his life. When Jason heard it, he was almost going to slap Percy for saying such things. “Hey, look at me. I made that choice, and if anything had happened to me, I would be glad it happened with you. You are my brother, and you will stay that way. Forever.” Percy sniffed, and hugged Jason. ”It’s just that…you know-” “Yes, but you won’t lose me, not anymore. You can’t get rid of me that easily, bro.” That earned him a solid shoulder punch from him. They looked at each other, then at the door. It opened with a bang to reveal a pissed and relieved Reyna. “You fuckers woke up from a **_four day coma_** and you did NOT BOTHER TO LET ME KNOW? DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS? Gods if you weren’t so fragile now, I would’ve smacked you both.” They laughed, seeing Reyna’s bloodshot eyes, she gave in too after some time and hugged them.

The second thing Percy saw, - didn’t see, technically- was Annabeth. He expected her to be around, leading the legion with Reyna. Her absence irritated him for some reason, he was accustomed to seeing her around all the time, probably. He didn’t want to ask her about her though, or he would never hear the end of their teasing. He stood up slowly and held on to Reyna for support. They would have to talk about what their dreams meant, not now. Now was time to celebrate. They went to the headquarters to get a good breath. They were a bit overwhelmed from the attention they were given. As Percy reached for the bottle, Reyna shook her finger and pointed towards the water dispenser. Her glare was enough for him to get two glasses. He had to admit, his body was practically begging for some ice cold water.

Leaning on the marble, Jason wiggled his eyebrow at him. Percy sent a blank look his way. “Don’t you wonder where your lover girl has been?” He choked on his water and started wheezing. As a son of a water god, that shit was really embarrassing. _Really_ embarrassing. To clear the situation, he started rambling, which made it even worse:

“Okay, you know what, first of all, she’s not my ~~_air quotes_~~ _**lover girl**_. She’s just…I don’t know man, she has this mischievous, clever glint in her eyes and her…strong-willed and stubborn attitude. Like, no one has ever stood up to me, a _goddamn praetor_ , and she just doesn’t give a fuck. I-I mean, yeah Minerva-Neptune rivalry and whatever but she’s so keen on keeping a certain coldness between us for some reason, and it’s just…nonsense. We’ve been here for like…three months? And all of those months she never tried to get close with me, unbelievable, right? And..AND WHAT IS INTERESTING IS, SHE WAS THE GIRL I SAVED ON THE BRIDGE”

“Wait, New York?” interrupted Jason.

“YES NEW YORK, LIKE FROM THE DRAKON. WHEN I FORMED THE HURRICANE, IT- JUST HER GLANCE AT ME STIRRED SOME MEMORIES. And man, she has changed, so much, like I know I saw her for like…six seconds but ugh, I do NOT KNOOOW. It’s infuriating-

“Nope, what’s infuriating is listening to you thirsting after her. Don’t look at me like that, thirsty in a friendship way. Fucking hell, your cheesiness made my brain woozy, I can’t think. Oh and, Annabeth is currently in Rome, not that you were wondering, I’m sure.”

Percy stood up from the couch. “Rome? Why and- wait, let’s back up a bit-why?”

Reyna told him about the Athena Parthenos while nonchalantly filling the shaker. Jason tried to get a lime, but she slapped his hand away again. Now Percy was listening carefully. “Next question, how?”

“Hell if I know, lover boy, she’s a daughter of Minerva, she’s got the brains for it. By the way, as you two were in your beauty sleep, she is an **_incredible_** strategist. I mean, she may be Greek, but I would reassign the whole senate for her if she volunteered to get in. She combined Greek and Roman positions marvellously, even Octavian was impressed. Octavian! For a second, I thought she was another daughter of my mom, honestly, and she’s been a emotional rock for me while you were gone. This means that I have an actual friend that doesn’t reek of testosterone, isn’t it amazing. **I’m joking, Percy.** So, Percy, if you ever leave her, or make her angry, there is a slight chance I may not be on your side.” After that, she couldn’t keep serious while looking at their fluctuating faces. She took out two bottles from the fridge and tossed it. “Nectar and formula, you haven’t eaten anything in four days.” She raised her own drink, “Dum vivimus vivamus, ad fundum” Percy tentatively smelled it, then downed the whole drink. His mouth felt numb, so did his whole body. Jason was in the same situation, yawning with drowsy eyes.

“Now that the nectar is doing its job, go sleep more you big babies, I’m off duty tonight.” They waved her and slumped towards their apartment. Reyna chuckled at the sight of them. She sighed into her drink and moved towards the television. Praetor here, praetor there, Reyna this, Reyna that, this much conflict all commissioned at her felt unfair. Sometimes she hated Romans, why did they have to be so strict. That’s why this building was exclusive to praetors, in ancient Rome, even the concept of slacking compartment like this would get heavily scrutinized. Camp Half-Blood seemed chill. From what Annabeth told her, it was like a summer camp, with team activities and forests and strawberry fields. They were raising kids to be kids, while they were raising kids to be soldiers. Although, the fact that the camp was directed by a drunk and careless Bacchus was questionable. Deep down in dreams, she rinsed her mask and finished the rest of her now warm martini. It was pretty chill, considering a normal summer evening, so she took her blanket and nestled up on the bed. It was an appropriate night for How To Get Away With Murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum vivimus vivamus: while we live, let us live  
> basically means we gotta chill too  
> ad fundum: bottoms up (a more professional way of saying get wrecked)


	5. backwards into hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, im back!! this is a short one unfortunely, but i will make it up to you in the next one. oh and as i said before, this will be the last chapter for the next 7-9 ish months.  
> im sorry in advance :)  
> (don't jump to end notes, contains spoiler-y stuff)

Annabeth was panting. The whole building was covered in silky spider webs. She dragged her broken ankle behind her, walking towards Arachne with 12% of a plan. Arachne was ugly, and scary. Her legs had spikes, and had blotches of sticky web, and she was nauseated just at the plain sight of her. She looks at the Parthenon, also covered thickly with silk, hiding its power. She limped towards her and started to even her breathing. Spiders irked her so much, thanks to mommy Athena, but somehow, she managed to not pass out. Arachne was now talking to her, telling about her glorious past, how Athena ruined her life because she was jealous (and she was absolutely correct, but her mother would smite her before she could even think about it) so she used this time to actually think, or else she was going to die.

…

The whole camp was raging. The Seven along with Reyna was separated, going on different quests, taking down allies one by one. Hazel and Piper’s arrival, Leo’s competition with Narcissist Maximus, Annabeth’s disappearance, all were piling up one by one. With the whole situation going on, Reyna wasn’t focused on the camp, so Octavian was still tarnishing her reputation, trying to make himself seem superior. If they were going to lose, Octavian was going to have a part in that.

Percy was having nightmares again. A woman whispering to him, Juno’s real form, water, falling. They always ended with him falling from somewhere. It looked like a canyon, but he never trusted his own imagination. After freeing Juno, things started to get slightly better. The troops were healing, Splits seemed to have relented, the infantry got emptier and for a moment, Percy thought they were going to be alright. They were close to finding Annabeth, so they could save her and get the Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. He unintentionally admired her courage and selflessness. She and him were quite similar, prioritizing the greater good above all, guarding their true selves. Such a small world, to think that she was the girl whom he saved all those years ago, who would’ve thought they would meet again. He knew there was something astounding about her from the moment his eyes met hers. The storm brewing behind her eyes, that focused look she does when she thinks, fidgeting with the sheath of her dagger unconsciously; she had so many beautiful features she didn’t realize. If only they could have a proper talk without sarcasm coming in a minute later, maybe they could actually get along as friends. She was so reserved towards him when she first arrived, but now it seemed like she tolerated him, and as a start, he would take tolerating over snarky remarks any day. Honestly, remarks were starting to rub off on him, and others too; way too many people had started calling him Kelp Boy, which was an awfully cheap knock-off of her nickname. He sighed, and pushed his head into the pillow. The sea scent eased his anxieties almost instantly. After seeing the effect of the sea on him, he started to call it “seahorse tranquilizer”. Before the war, everything was better. Uniting with the other camp may have been a nice advantage, but still the panic building up was starting to get unbearable. He felt sleep coming steadily, feeling drowsy. He had never thought he would fall asleep listening to Hozier, but he was already yawning. He kicked the blanket off and snuggled into the bed. As unconsciousness was dragging him to darkness, he heard Leo shouting outside, impossibly loud, and annoying. When he opened the door, Leo was already standing, waiting patiently with an envelope. His shirt was...smouldering and had burn holes. When he pointed at them, Leo just waved past, saying sometimes he would create sparks when he got too excited. One look at Percy, and Leo stopped, made him sit and narrated the whole story from the beginning.

Leo huffed. He was a little bit dizzy, they all were, after the quest. But he had finally learned the whereabouts of Annabeth. Not only that, they had crossed paths with Nico too. He was almost transparent, a side effect of too much shadowtraveling. He told them about where he’d been, how he escaped and how he managed to find them. Noticing his grave condition, they just let him rest, and after a week of uninterrupted and seemingly eternal sleep, he was ready to tell them about his adventure. Leo was disturbed when he heard about the “stuck in a jar” part. Who in their right minds would put a literal child in a goddamn jar. Oh right, Titans weren’t exactly the epitome of righteousness and ethics. On the bright side, he now had a sick ass sword. Stygian iron, Nico said. It was black, but Nico didn’t allow him to touch it. “May reap your soul, I can’t guarantee it.” , he explained. For the next three days, Leo couldn’t be seen in close proximity to him when he was carrying the sword. When they reached Camp Jupiter at last, Leo was exhilarated. The feeling of security and accomplishment was astonishing. He could feel the familiar friendly buzz in his veins settling once again. After a sufficient amount of food and ambrosia, he was replenished to his healthy state. He stood up and and started rambling about the quest in no time. Something was bugging him, his eyes were wondering all over, searching for something. Just then, he spotted Percy’s cabin and jolted there for the news. They had become somewhat friends, he almost stomped in his cabin before Piper stopped him for good reason. Seconds later, he was staring at a confused and slightly angry Percy. He waved and motioned him to follow. A few hours later, Argo II was deployed and ready to go. Reyna was diametrically opposed to the idea, as Octavian’s atrocious and selfish plan was marching on and with their departure it would only flare up even worse. It took multiple pleads, several threats, and three promised bottles of Frangelico to finally soften her. Softening was all he needed, he kissed Reyna’s cheek and whistled to Piper, who was fidgeting outside the Principia.

…

Hubris, Annabeth thought, was her weakness. All her monologues were composed of boastful arguments, arrogance, and victimization. She could definitely use this. Coughing, she interrupted her speech, and planted the seeds of a false sense of future in her thoughts. She could see the power-hungry shadow lingering behind her eyes, her plan was working. It was like time had slowed down; she was feeling more nauseated the more time she spent in the cave. On the bright side, Arachne had taken the bait, and was caught in her own trap. She was but a wriggling insect stuck to a web, waiting to be eaten by a spider. Quite the appropriate analogy. The floor was getting thinner minute by minute, and she could feel the cold void seeping from the cracks, trying to drag her down. After the cuff was done, Arachne was diving to her death, and Annabeth quickly limped to safer grounds, a trip down below was the last thing she wanted that day.

The ceiling thumped loudly, then crumbled down in chunks. She stood up, leaning on a tapestry for support, ready to fight. All that came was Leo’s smiley face. Piper drooped a rope ladder, then they jumped below one by one. She felt light, the weight on her shoulders was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes, seeing all of her friends, even Romans together just to rescue her reminded her of humanity. After all that happened, she could just faint right there, her feelings were too intense for her wrecked body. What shocked her was the sight of Percy, she never expected to see him here, her heart skipped half a beat. The quest was technically against Camp Jupiter, so seeing him standing tall and happy against her, it was ecstatic. Without a word, she ran up and threw her arms around him. She felt him go rigid, and just as she was about to step back shameful, he embraced her wide and long. He smelt of sea salt and lemongrass. Hearing his heartbeat slowed hers, soothed her aching limbs. Frank’s nudge woke her up, he pointed towards the void, the hole was getting bigger. Percy told others to get the Parthenos on the ship, whilst he and Nico would help Annabeth and close the entrance to the pit. He lowered, and helped Annabeth get on her feet. When she felt the web lapped on her ankle, it was too late. She stumbled back, and got dragged into the pit. Percy was fast on his feet, he held her hand, but it wasn’t enough. They were both going to get swallowed by the darkness. She heard Piper’s scream from above.

Nico was horrified, looking at Percy holding on to a rock, trying to balance himself. Memories of his own experience came back to him. They could never survive down there. Percy yelled to him. “ **Nico, lead them to the Doors of Death.** ” He shook his head, still in a trance. “ **Nico, promise me, you can do it.** ” He felt himself swallow thickly. He glanced at them, both scared. They depended on him, the world depended on him. He nodded, and pulled the ladder up. He had nothing else to do, Percy was way too stubborn to accept any help.

Annabeth was shaking. The web showed no signs of tearing, and the pain was getting unbearable. The only thing connecting her to the world was Percy, and although she trusted him, the weight of the monster was impossible to resist. She met his eyes. He carried the same weight in his eyes as Luke. _Hopefully, he wouldn’t have the same fate as him._ She gulped, and glanced down below.

“Let me go, you can’t carry us both.”

“No, never.”

“Percy, you have to let me go, or you will fall too.”

“ ** _No, I’m done leaving people alone. If you are going to fall, so am I._** ”

He looked at the sun, breathed in the fresh air, maybe for the last time, then let go. He was familiar with the idea of death, but dying in the darkest, deadliest place in the universe wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts. The darkness covering them, he reimagined his dream. He had seen this before; he was supposed to recognize the signs. He sighed and pulled Annabeth close to him. It was getting colder. The air whooshing past their ears, he wished he had worn something more durable. This was going to be one long ass fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i figured if you don't put cliffhangers (heh), are you even a legit rick riordan reader?  
> so yeah i know you all love me for this, so i guess this is a temporary goodbye?  
> ps. the next chapter will be feely


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my version of bribing you to stay.... its not long but again, ive been in a mental limbo for the past 7... years (months) so uh enjoy this  
> also i have two paths, either writing the tartarus experience or skipping that part and snippeting? parts later on... feel free to comment your choice tbh  
> -another note my twitter acc got suspended but im too lazy to change the url so just dont click on them :D  
> see yall in a few months adioosss  
> edit: i apparently told you this one would be feely. i lied lol

_"The smell of freshly baked cookies. He can sense it from miles away, especially when they are his mom’s special blue cookies. Since he was a kid, the cookies have always been blue. It paints his tongue blue too, he and Sally used to joke about how he would turn into a Smurf someday. He runs the hall, following the heavenly smell to the closed kitchen door. Two curious eyes peek through the small crack. The tray sits on the kitchen counter, oblivious to the shark preying on it hungrily. He looks around for his mom, because she wants the cookies to simmer for a while to let the steam sit, although Percy is pretty sure she made that up to stop him from eating them without a breath. Coast clear, he approaches the innocent cookies, and chooses the crispiest looking one. He bites it, waiting for the salty sugary dough to melt into his mouth, but it’s too salty. No, his mom would never mess up the recipe, it had always been the usual, just like everything in his life, before... before- He looks up, and sees a sinfully red liquid seeping down the bite. No..... not his blood. This can’t be real, what the hell is wrong with him.. He raises his hand to see it dirtied with blood, as with his clothes. There are smears of red and brown everywhere. The cookie falls down, crumbles into small, brown pieces, The pieces turn slimy, morph into snakes. Tens of snakes slither around, hissing at him, merging together, taking shape of a man. The man laughs, his face turns cruel, painfully familiar. Percy holds on to the counter, trembling and unbalanced, his legs paralyzed, knees locked, unable to carry his weight. The snakes dismantle, start attacking his legs one by one. They crawl, slowly, make their way towards his throat. He feels something dragging him, pulling him down. And his body; too tired to respond, he falls down. The snakes are still on him. They are hugging him, crushing him, making it harder to breathe. Breathe. Breathe... His lungs are collapsing. Breathe, he hears. He needs to breathe, he can feel the air getting thinner around him, it’s almost impossible to breathe. He isn’t in the kitchen anymore, he doesn’t know where he is. The snakes hiss, hiss, and hiss until it becomes a cacophony of noises. The sounds turn into cries, cries turn into laughs, and laughs turn into names. The snakes are shouting his name. **Percy. Percy. Percy.** He can hear his blood pumping in his ears, his heartbeat erratic and loud. **Percy wake up.** Wake up? The snakes hug him tighter, all he can hear is his name. This time, it’s urgent, he can feel it. He forces his eyes to open, the air in his lungs knocking out. He is falling._


End file.
